Essentially, if it’s in the headlines globally, and paints a dire portrait of the human condition, you can count on Rise Against to have a stance. If these times represent the end of the world as we know it — as Rise Against suggests in its recent release, “Endgame” — the Chicago-based punk band wants listeners to know it doesn’t feel fine.

Released last year, the album is as much an urgent commentary on current events as it is a showcase of 14 new songs that feature a gritty, yet polished and palatable sound that has become a staple of the band’s work.

Although Rise Against has scoffed at the notion of “Endgame” as a concept album, the recurring themes that fit together under the umbrella of the title are intentional, drummer Brandon Barnes said.

“The title ‘Endgame’ sort of gets across the point that environmentally, politically and otherwise, the world is headed in a bad direction,” Barnes said in a telephone interview from a tour stop in Grand Rapids, Mich. “It’s about the way we do things, the way we treat other people. The album was meant to be a wake-up call and get people to realize that we need to change a few things before it’s too late.”

Some of the highlights include the album’s first release, “Help Is On the Way,” which was inspired by lead singer Tim Mcllrath’s visit to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

“It was so eye-opening to see how important the city was, and to realize that a city like this existed within the American borders at all, and to see how much it was hurting was something that was really emotional and dramatic,” Mcllrath said in a news release.

Another pointed track is “Make it Stop,” which addresses homophobia and pays tribute by name to several victims of harassment. Among those mentioned include Tyler Clementi, the 18-year-old Rutgers University student who committed suicide in 2010 after he was harassed by his dorm roommate.

(Page 2 of 2)

“I wanted to do a song that, first, lets fans know that we don’t tolerate bigotry in our audience and, second, empower fans who are coming to grips with their own sexuality, empower them to be proud of who they are and that we accept them,” Mcllrath said.

Other noteworthy songs include “Disparity By Design,” which expresses the band’s support for the occupy movement, and the title track, which speaks to a general sense of impending apocalypse.

The band’s activism doesn’t end with its music. This week, the band performed in Arizona for the first time in two years after it had stopped playing concerts there in protest of the state’s immigration policies.

What’s more, its website encourages visitors to care about myriad topics, which includes encouraging visitors to vote in the upcoming election.

“Not everyone votes, and that’s frustrating,” Barnes said. “We have two parties to vote for, and they are similar in a lot of ways, and that’s unfortunate. But it’s important for people to go vote. Maybe putting a tag on the website will encourage a few thousand people to vote, and that could be the difference.”

Although Rise Against long has been known for its activism, “Endgame” represents something of a change in direction from the band’s prior release. The 2008 album “Appeal to Reason” featured a more radio-friendly sound and resulted in the band’s biggest commercial success.

Singles such as “Audience of One” and “Savior” — neither of which is particularly political — garnered significant airplay and helped the band reach a more mainstream audience.

“I didn’t know if it would be a good thing,” Barnes said of the band’s increased commercial success. “But we’re in total control of our music, where we play and what we do. We stuck to our guns on everything, and we are reaching more people with our message, which is important.”

The extremely topical nature of “Endgame” has drawn some feedback from critics who suggest the band has strayed too far from its punk roots — Rise Against started as an artist on the popular independent label Fat Wreck Chords — and has become a band known more for its politics than its sound.

But Barnes said the band isn’t worried about the perception.

“I don’t think it’s a concern that it would be a bad thing,” Barnes said. “Our views have almost become equally important. We started out playing music, and we still like the band side of it. Some kids come to the show to have a good time, and others really get into the message part of it. I think it’s fine either way.”